35+ Musicals Set in Prison – The Full List of Shows
Many musicals feature prisons or jails as a key part of their storylines. Some take place almost entirely behind bars, while others include just a brief scene or reference. Here’s the full list of musicals set in prison or jail, along with which characters are incarcerated in each of them. But please be warned that this list contains spoilers!
Post Contents:
Musicals Set in Prison
Music/Lyrics/Book: Jill Santoriello
Musical Type: Contemporary (2007)
Imprisoned Character: Charles Darnay
Music/Lyrics: Cole Porter Book: Guy Bolton, P.G. Wodehouse, Howard Lindsay, Russel Crouse
Musical Type: Jazz Age (1934)
Imprisoned Characters: Billy, Moonface, Ching, and Ling
Music/Lyrics: Kath Gotts Book: Maureen Chadwick, Ann McManus
Musical Type: Contemporary (2006)
Imprisoned Characters: Multiple
Music: Frank Wildhorn Lyrics: Don Black Book: Ivan Menchell
Musical Type: Contemporary (2009)
Imprisoned Characters: Clyde and Buck
Music: Jule Styne Lyrics: Bob Merrill Book: Isobel Lennart
Musical Type: Post-Golden Age (1964)
Imprisoned Character: Nick Arnstein
Music/Lyrics: David Byrne Music: Fatboy Slim
Musical Type: Contemporary (2013)
Imprisoned Characters: Estrella and Ninoy
Music: Marguerite Monnot Lyrics/Book: Alexandre Breffort, Julian More, David Heneker, Monty Norman
Musical Type: Golden Age (1956)
Imprisoned Characters: Nestor-Le-Fripe and Others
Music/Lyrics: Todd Matshikiza Lyrics: Pat Williams Book: Harry Bloom
Musical Type: Golden Age (1959)
Imprisoned Character: King Kong
Music: John Kander Lyrics: Fred Ebb Book: Terrence McNally
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1992)
Imprisoned Characters: Molina and Valentin
Music/Lyrics: Claude-Michel Schönberg Lyrics: Alan Boublil, Herbert Kretzmer, Jean-Marc Natel
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1980)
Imprisoned Characters: Jean Valjean and Others
Music: Mitch Leigh Lyrics: Joe Darion Book: Dale Wasserman
Musical Type: Post-Golden Age (1965)
Imprisoned Characters: Cervantes, Sancho, and Others
Music/Lyrics/Book: Michael John LaChiusa
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1999)
Imprisoned Character: Marie Christine
Music: George Stiles Lyrics: Paul Leigh Book: Claire Luckham
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1993)
Imprisoned Character: Moll Flanders
Music/Lyrics: Madness Book: Tim Firth
Musical Type: Contemporary (2002)
Imprisoned Character: Joe Casey
Music/Lyrics: Jason Robert Brown Book: Alfred Uhry
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1998)
Imprisoned Character: Leo Frank
Music: Cyril Ornadel Lyrics: Leslie Bricusse Book: Wolf Mankowitz
Musical Type: Post-Golden Age (1963)
Imprisoned Characters: Pickwick and Weller
Music: Al Carmines Lyrics/Book: María Irene Fornés
Musical Type: Post-Golden Age (1965)
Imprisoned Characters: 105 and 106
Music/Lyrics/Book: Shaina Taub
Musical Type: Contemporary (2022)
Imprisoned Characters: Multiple
Music/Lyrics/Book: Paul Simon Lyrics/Book: Derek Walcott
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1998)
Imprisoned Character: Salvador Agrón
Music: Frank Wildhorn Lyrics/Book: Jack Murphy
Musical Type: Contemporary (2009)
Imprisoned Characters: Dante and Faria
Music: Martin Silvestri Lyrics/Book: Joel Higgins
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1993)
Imprisoned Characters: Multiple
Music: Nancy Ford Lyrics/Book: Gretchen Cryer
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1970)
Imprisoned Characters: Isaac and Alice
Music/Book: Claude-Michel Schönberg Lyrics: John Dempsey Lyrics/Book: Alain Boublil, Richard Maltby, Jr.
Musical Type: Contemporary (2006)
Imprisoned Characters: Grace and Tiernan
Music/Lyrics/Book: Mel Brooks Book: Thomas Meehan
Musical Type: Contemporary (2001)
Imprisoned Characters: Max, Leo, and Franz
Music: Frank Wildhorn Lyrics/Book: Nan Knighton
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1997)
Imprisoned Characters: Armand and Marguerite
Music/Lyrics: John Kander, Fred Ebb Book: David Thompson
Musical Type: Contemporary (2010)
Imprisoned Characters: Multiple
Music/Book: James Valcq Lyrics/Book: Fred Alley
Musical Type: Contemporary (2001)
Imprisoned Character: Percy Talbott
Music/Lyrics/Book: Preston Max Allen
Musical Type: Contemporary (2015)
Imprisoned Character: Mattie Wheeler
Musicals Set in Jail
A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder
Music/Lyrics: Steven Lutvak Lyrics/Book: Robert L. Freedman
Musical Type: Contemporary (2012)
Jailed Character: Monty Navarro
Music/Lyrics: Various Book: Joe DiPietro
Musical Type: Contemporary (2005)
Jailed Character: Chad
Music: John Kander Lyrics/Book: Fred Ebb Book: Bob Fosse
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1975)
Jailed Characters: Multiple
Music/Lyrics: Adam Schlesinger, David Javerbaum Book: Mark O’Donnell, Thomas Meehan
Musical Type: Contemporary (2007)
Jailed Characters: Cry-Baby and Others
Music: David Friedman Lyrics/Book: Peter Kellogg
Musical Type: Contemporary (2004)
Jailed Character: Johnny Blood
Music: Stephen Flaherty Lyrics/Book: Lynn Ahrens
Musical Type: Contemporary (2005)
Jailed Character: Dessa Rose
Music/Lyrics: Marc Shaiman Lyrics: Scott Wittman Book: Mark O’Donnell, Thomas Meehan
Musical Type: Contemporary (2002)
Jailed Character: Tracy Turnblad
Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat
Music: Andrew Lloyd Webber Lyrics: Tim Rice
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1968)
Jailed Character: Joseph
Music/Lyrics: Nell Benjamin, Laurence O’Keefe Book: Heather Hach
Musical Type: Contemporary (2007)
Jailed Character: Brooke Wyndham
Music/Lyrics/Book: Joe Iconis
Musical Type: Contemporary (2019)
Detained Characters (Juvie): Multiple
Music/Book: Cy Coleman Lyrics/Book: Ira Gasman Book: David Newman
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1990)
Jailed Character: Queen
Music: Jeanine Tesori Lyrics/Book: Dick Scanlan Book: Richard Morris
Musical Type: Contemporary (2002)
Jailed Character: Jimmy Smith
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Which of these musicals set in prison is your favorite?
Or have you ever played a role in any of the above musicals? Feel free to share in the comments below! And if you like these types of lists, check out the musical database. That’s where you’ll find musicals sorted by composer, theme, setting, and more!
Author: Stacy Karyn
Stacy Karyn is the founder of Theatre Trip, author of The Thespian’s Bucket List, and creator of The Cast Album List. She holds a BA in theatre and a TESOL drama certificate, with experience working and interning in Broadway and Off-Broadway theaters.
